Saturday, June 18, 2016

MIA @ E3 2016: The Notable Games That Were Missing

E3 2016 is officially over, and man, what a show it was this year. If you're like me (and God help you if you are), you were excited to see lots of new and already announced games in all of their glory. At the same time, however, you probably also noticed that some games you might have been expecting to show up at E3 weren't there. This article delves into those games, the ones that disappointingly and unsatisfactorily so just weren't at E3 2016, making fans have to wait till who knows when to see them next.

Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4)

Perhaps it was too foolish to expect Final Fantasy VII Remake to show up at E3 this year. After all, Square Enix wouldn't want to overshadow its own game in Final Fantasy XV, especially when it's releasing in three months. However, I'm just hoping we're not going to see another Final Fantasy Versus XIII scenario where Final Fantasy VII's remake turns into vaporware for many years before finally being unveiled again. Regardless, it's too soon for that worry. We can probably expect Final Fantasy VII Remake to appear at least at the PlayStation Experience this December, considering then Final Fantasy XV will have been out for just under three months.

Kingdom Hearts III (PS4, XB1)

Sora, Donald, and Goofy will have to wait for another place to show off their skills, as they definitely weren't at E3 this year, nor was the game they all star in, Kingdom Hearts III. Unveiled a couple of E3s ago, it's pretty disappointing that the game seems to be slow going in development. Assuming we'll see the game this year in some form, there is always the Tokyo Game Show to think about, unless for some reason Square Enix doesn't want to cast any eyes away from Final Fantasy XV.

Red Dead 3

(Screens from Red Dead Redemption on PS3, 360, and PC)

Some are perpetuating the rumor that Sony was intending to show Rockstar's latest in the Red Dead series at the end of its conference, hence the lackluster ending we actually received. The idea around this is that the trailer would have shown a shooting series, which would have been awfully tone deaf considering the absolute tragedy that occurred in Orlando a couple of days before. While some at Sony have denied that Red Dead's continuation would have been at the PlayStation press conference otherwise, there does seem to be truth in that the game is indeed coming. When will it be announced? That's the million dollar question.

Crackdown 3 (XB1)

Notably absent from Microsoft's Xbox One and Windows 10 PC showing, the cloud-intensive Crackdown 3 is set to release in 2017. It's anyone's best guess that Microsoft neglected to show it either because it wasn't at a good state to reveal progress on the game, or because it's a 2017 release and Microsoft didn't want to show too much stuff that wasn't releasing in the next six months. Whatever the case, you can bet that Crackdown 3 will be quite the showcase and jewel in the crown of the Xbox brand's lineup when it releases some time next year.

No Man's Sky (PS4)

For a game that releases in August, it was surprising to not hear or see hide nor hair of No Man's Sky at this E3. One could assume Sony didn't want to once again trot out the game at yet another media showing, much more another E3. Still, I'm amazed there wasn't a quick trailer or that the game wasn't even demoed at the PlayStation booth this year. While I won't go into any fear-mongering and say that No Man's Sky will see yet another delay, it's highly curious what Sony's rationale was for not having this highly intriguing game at E3.

Ace Combat 7 (PS4)

With such a focus on PlayStation VR at this year's E3, it's quite interesting how one of the marquis titles planned for the device wasn't even at the show this year. Ace Combat 7 is indeed a PlayStation 4 exclusive and will indeed use PlayStation VR. Maybe the game just wasn't far enough along to show anything, but hopefully we'll get to see the game soon. If not at the Tokyo Game Show, where it would definitely make sense to show it, then let's hope at the most we have to wait until the PlayStation Experience.

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (PS4)

Another missing RPG from E3 2016, Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom looks like a Studio Ghibli animated film in video game form. It says something, though, about Sony's showcase that it had so much content for the PlayStation 4 that it really didn't need a lot more to hype gamers up. That said, ti's disappointing all the same that Level-5's latest RPG wasn't at E3. Perhaps we'll see it at a future event, whether it's at Gamescom, Level-5's own event, Tokyo Game Show, PlayStation Experience, or any other trade show that has slipped my mind at this present moment.

New Hot Shots Golf (PS4)

Okay, maybe this one is more notable to me exclusively! Revealed last year at the Tokyo Game Show, the latest in the Hot Shots Golf series (currently without a finalized name) takes players beyond the boundaries of a single hole with seemingly fully traverse-able golf courses that have golfers swinging clubs, putting balls, and driving golf carts around various holes. I was hoping that like Gravity Rush 2, Sony just omitted the new Hot Shots Golf from its press conference and would reveal a new trailer after the fact, but this obviously did not happen, contrary to my inner Hot Shots Golf fan's desires.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force (3DS)

Although Nintendo's E3 presence this year mostly focused on the absolutely jaw-dropping new Zelda for NX and Wii U, the house of Mario still featured some games on its Nintendo Treehouse live-streaming coverage. A notable absence from this coverage, and a game that is set to release in about two months, was Metroid Prime: Federation Force. Now, this title has already gotten a lot of ire from fans, and it hasn't exactly proven itself as a competent game. Thus, this makes its absence from Nintendo's E3 all the more bewildering and all the more suspicious. Here's hoping that Federation Force actually turns out well and is a positively received game for Metroid's 25th anniversary this year.